Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent at the end of December. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

SETT-ING A QUICK PACE

It’s a Christmas miracle! After a survey revealed that burrowing badgers had done untold damage below ground, the subsequent installation of an underground fence around their sett has been completed early, which means the road from Robin Hood Roundabout to Beverley Brook is now reopened. Many thanks to The Royal Parks and their contractors for getting the first phase finished in double-quick time - and thank you to all the cyclists who avoided the site while the works took place. The second phase, which is to reconstruct the ground beneath the road and remove all cavities, is scheduled to start on Monday 14 January and will take two weeks, so look out for the signs confirming the dates. As before, you should cycle on alternative routes along the Tamsin Trail or the roads through the middle of the park. And remember - the area is a working site, so no tip-toeing around the barriers!

KICK-OFF FOR RANGERS

The number of people coming to the park has been steadily growing for years - and now a recruitment scheme has begun to create a team of community rangers who will make visitors’ experience even better. They will be on hand to provide information about the park, including its wildlife, heritage and management. Volunteers will be vetted, given a uniform and trained by The Royal Parks who have already appointed a ranger manager and who will be based at Holly Lodge. There will also be rangers in Bushy Park. All rangers will encourage best behaviour and welcome cyclists - so give them a wave if you see them when they start to appear during Easter next year. Or if you fancy becoming a ranger yourself, you can fill out an application form. Let us know how you get on!

SITE UPDATE

After the Christmas break we will be putting up information about the committees and meetings we attend, opening and closing times for the park, and other useful bits and pieces for the year ahead. Most have appeared as items in our bulletins, but it will be useful for all of you to have them in one place for easy reference in the future. In the meantime, have a look at our brilliant sponsors on our website and click the links to find out more about them. They enable us to pay our modest expenses, and we thank them for backing us this past year.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and most importantly, enjoy your riding. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from November 2018. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

A BIG UP-SETT

Another round of road closures is looming - and although it may sound like we’re making this up, the blame can be firmly placed on the park’s pesky badgers. You may recall from a previous bulletin that the black-and-white blighters have made tunnels and a sett near Robin Hood roundabout. Now a survey has revealed that their underground burrowing has caused such extensive damage that the road, believe it or not, could collapse at any time.

That means the road from Robin Hood Roundabout to the bridge over Beverley Brook is due to close for approximately five weeks while works take place. Keep an eye on Facebook for the announcement of the start date. Depending on progress, the road may reopen over Christmas. In the meantime, you are advised to ride the Tamsin Trail instead while the works are ongoing, although some may prefer the tarmac route past Pen Ponds car park to Sheen Cross.

So why, you may be wondering, will the process take so long? Because Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means the welfare of the badgers has to pass a higher test than elsewhere. Permits for this kind of work can take several months to be granted, so if The Royal Parks had waited for signs of structural failure before acting, then the outcome would probably be more chaotic and take even longer to resolve.

The badgers are thought to have left the sett, but to avoid the risk of harm if they return, the contractors will install 106 metres of fence going two metres into the ground, hand-digging and weaving around the protected tree roots. They can only do this work from the road, so it will be closed in advance of the excavation and reconstruction. The Royal Parks is asking all cyclists not to ride up to the barriers and walk around them as the verge will be a working site. Keep a lookout for signs and respect their instructions. Courtesy to the contractors and other park users is much appreciated by The Royal Parks and genuinely helps.

Let’s hope the badgers are equally courteous to the contractors and don’t decide to break back in to their abandoned home - or the work may take much longer than anticipated!

MEETING THE NEW GUY

The Royal Parks has recently appointed a new head of transport, and we had a very encouraging meeting with him this week. Matthew Bonomi, who is a cyclist himself, previously lived in Melbourne where he was responsible for implementing transport programmes for nine years. We presented our proposal for Intelligent Road Charging to reduce the number of shortcut journeys made by motor vehicles through the park, and Matthew’s response was very reassuring. After many months of meetings and consultations with interested parties regarding IRC, we think it may be time to hand over the idea to The Royal Parks. Richmond Park Cyclists will be keeping a watch on its progress and checking if it has traction at board level. Onwards and upwards!

BANGING NIGHTS

It’s that time of year when you can sometimes hear the faint echo of gunshot if you are riding on a quiet road near the park at night. That sound should be enough to warn you off from entering, but for the avoidance of doubt you should avoid the park after dark until the deer cull ends, which is pencilled in for the morning of Friday 14 December. The cull may take longer or be over sooner than anticipated, so keep an eye out for signs by the gates.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Thank you to all those who have picked up one of our postcards in the past few weeks and become new subscribers as a result. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from October 2018. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

TAR VERY MUCH

If you haven’t already tried out the park’s brand new Tarmac on the ring road, then what are you waiting for? The silky smooth blacktop is a joy to ride on and a welcome relief from the worn patches all of us had grown accustomed to. We at Richmond Park Cyclists had reported the areas that had experienced wear and tear but we had not anticipated such a timely response. So thank you, Royal Parks! Works are near complete with the remaining stretch from Robin Hood roundabout to Pen Ponds pencilled in for Spring next year. Watch this space!

POUR US!

The heavens opened for Richmond Park’s Open Day last month at Pembroke Lodge, so thank you to everyone who braved the elements to say hello to us. A superb display of bikes from past and present - including a Penny Farthing and a selection of Raleigh Choppers - was kept dry underneath our gazebo. A big thank you to Cicli Artigianali, Twickenham CC, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo and the Gray family for loaning bikes and helping out at our stall. We were pleased to make a valued contribution to the event alongside other stakeholders and visitors, and the Royal Parks showed much appreciation. The event also saw the debut of our postcards which we are handing out to spread the word about Richmond Park Cyclists. Look out for them appearing at a cafe or shop near you soon!

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

Here’s your chance to get us doing what we do best - representing your interests in Richmond Park. We will be attending the Safer Parks Panel with the Met Police on Wednesday 17th October and the Stakeholders’ Breakfast on 19th November, so let us know what issues, good and bad, you would like us to bring up. And here’s another date for your diary - the second of the twice-yearly deer cull will commence in early November and last approximately six weeks, during which time you should aim to exit the park by 8pm or risk a long delay to your journey as the gates are locked in rotation. Look out for the signs appearing at the gates!

SLOW NEWS DAY

Interesting news from the councillors of Richmond - they are consulting on slowing traffic to a maximum of 20mph on all roads throughout the borough (except on the two TfL-controlled Red Routes). You will undoubtedly have an opinion on the pros and cons of reducing the speed limit. Have a look at this link and fill in the survey at the end of the page to let the council know what you think.

LAPS OF JUDGEMENT

Those naughty scamps at Road Cycling UK got a slap on the wrist after one of their journalists posted footage of himself doing three laps of the park at an average speed of around 23mph. The video and article could have been interpreted as an encouragement to exceed the 20mph limit, but thankfully, the RCUK website took down the video and article after being contacted. The police and Royal Parks are under renewed pressure to apply the limit to all road users - so please keep an eye on your speed!

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. Thank you to all those who have picked up one of our postcards in the past few weeks and become new subscribers as a result. As ever, please share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from September 2018. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

SURFACE WITH A SMILE

First, the good news - you are all going to get a brand new road surface in Richmond Park to ride your bikes on! The bad news, as you might guess, is that the necessary roadworks may disrupt your riding - although not too much, as all gates and roads should remain open.

The work begins today (Monday 3rd September) and is scheduled to last six weeks. Weekend cycling will not be impacted, except for the London Duathlon on Sunday 16th September (and good luck if you are taking part!). During the week, you will need to walk on the pavement, use pedestrian gates and wait for two-way traffic lights. From week three (around 17th September onwards), you may need to use the Tamsin trail or the pedestrian path between Richmond and Ham at times.

If the schedule changes or the Royal Parks give us any more information, we will let you know. Check our Facebook and Twitter for updates before our next monthly bulletin.

We also hope to have confirmation that any gravel used for the resurfacing will be higher quality than the type used in 2009, which was a widespread cause of punctures due to the sharpness of the small stones.

So without further ado, here is your handy guide to which parts of the park will be closed and when...

Week 1, Monday 3 to Sunday 9 September

Location: Kingston Gate and Kingston roundabout

From Monday: Park gates will be closed to cars. Cyclists can use pedestrian gates Wednesday to Friday.

Friday: Kingston Gate roundabout will have two-way traffic lights at all times. Cyclists can use pedestrian paths and gates.

Saturday and Sunday: All gates and roads open as usual.

Week 2, Monday 10 to Sunday 16 September

Location: Sheen Cross and road to Sheen Gate

Monday-Friday: Sheen gates, road and pedestrian, will remain open as usual. Two-way traffic lights will be in operation on road and Sheen Cross roundabout, so expect delays. Car park shut for resurfacing of drive. Road to White Lodge and Royal Ballet school will be closed, so staff and residents will drive via Pen Ponds.

Saturday: All gates and roads open.

Sunday: All road gates and roads closed for London Duathlon.

Week 3, Monday 17 to Sunday 23 September

Location: Roehampton Gate and roundabouts

Monday: Roehampton Gate will be closed for works in carriageway between the gate and the roundabout.

Friday: Two-way traffic lights at roundabout at times.

Saturday and Sunday: All gates and roads open as usual.

Weeks 4-6, Monday 24 September to Friday 13 October

Location: Richmond to Ham

Details to be confirmed. There will be works to Richmond Gate, Richmond Roundabout and the road between Richmond Gate and Ham Cross. Expect road closures and diversions for this stage of the programme. Roads will be open as usual at weekends.

Autumn 2018/Spring or Summer 2019

Location: Robin Hood Roundabout to Pen Ponds Car Park

Resurfacing. Dates and details to be confirmed.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout from July 2018. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

LOOK, MUM - NEW SPONSORS!

Many of you will undoubtedly know of bike cafe, bar and workshop Look Mum No Hands! - and we are delighted to announce that the well-loved Old Street institution has become our first sponsor. Welcome aboard, chaps! Cycling clubs that use Richmond Park are also set to swell our coffers and we are confident that local cycling-related businesses will support our ongoing activities. We will update you in our next newsletter.

Having a small raft of sponsors will cover our modest running costs and enable us to keep Richmond Park Cyclists as a free service to you and all our subscribers. You can do your bit by forwarding this bulletin to any of your cycling pals who you think may be interested in having their voice heard by the authorities who run the park, or anyone who would appreciate receiving regular updates on park-related events and developments. As ever, you can sign up on our website here.

A BIT OF A SETT-TO

As you cycle past Robin Hood Roundabout on your way to Roehampton Gate, you may not realise that shadowy creatures sometimes lurk barely more than a foot from your wheels. And you’ll not see them - because they are UNDER your bike.

Industrious badgers have created a network of tunnels that sit a mere 40cm beneath the tarmac - and their labyrinth, which resembles a Swiss cheese, has actually left the road vulnerable to collapse. As their sett is in a National Nature Reserve, the humane destruction of this protected species is out of the question. Other permanent solutions are being weighed up, but in the meantime some temporary options likely to be considered include “plating” - a low-level bridge over the road surface - or one-way traffic.

Badgers are thought to have lived in Richmond Park for centuries. There is sometimes freshly-excavated soil just past the roundabout - so wave if you see one of our venerable black-and-white buddies digging away!

OPEN INVITATION

A reminder that you can meet us in September at the Richmond Park Open Day in Holly Lodge, where we will be sharing a stand with bike clubs Kingston Wheelers, Twickenham CC and London Dynamo. This will be a superb opportunity for our organisation to promote the group and cycling in general, especially as the lodge is open to the public only every two or three years. Do come along and say hi - it’s a simple way to show your support for what we do.

We will have some bike exhibits and are hoping to host a Wattbike challenge, so bring along a little energy if you fancy a fun competition.

The Royal Parks has handed us another sort of challenge. Its theme for the day is the First World War, so we are looking for a bike from that era to exhibit. Do you know where we might find one? Get in touch with Paul Harknett at pharknett@virginmedia.com if you have an idea. In the meantime, have a look at event co-hosts the Holly Lodge Centre, a unique charitable organisation that runs educational activities focussed on the heritage and natural environment of the park.

The date for your diary is Sunday, September 23, 11am-4pm. We’ll see you there!

TIME TO GET FITTER?

Congratulations to all the cyclists who took part in both Richmond Park Time Trials last month. The 20mph speed limit is suspended for the event and the flow of motor vehicle traffic is restricted, which makes it a great opportunity for anyone who wants to try time trialling. The unique 10-mile event is open to anyone who owns a road bike - so there is plenty of time to get fit if you want to be one of the 120 riders on the start list. We’ll let you know when event organisers London Dynamo open online entries next summer.

SUNDAY CLOSING

Good luck to everyone participating in the Prudential Ride London this Sunday, 29th July. And if you’re not taking part, please be aware the park will be closed to all traffic for the ride as well as the professional race in the afternoon. If you fancy watching the pros race through Richmond Park, they should be there by around 2pm.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

APPENED SO FAST

Like flowers blooming in spring, dockless hire bikes have been appearing all over London - so it was inevitable that they would come to Richmond Park. You probably already know that simply by using an app on your phone you can unlock one of these bicycles and de-hire it, ready for the next user, once you have pedalled to your destination. But like every innovation, change can produce some unexpected challenges - as The Royal Parks has revealed to us.

Dehiring in remote locations within the park has left numerous semi-abandoned bikes, sometimes in unsafe positions. The bike hire firms need to pick up and relocate their bicycles to more popular areas such as train stations - but they do not yet have an agreement to collect from Richmond Park. If they did come in and round up the bikes, the police would fine them for breaching the park’s general ban on commercial vehicles. So at this moment of impasse, TRP is collecting the hire bikes and keeping them locked up near Holly Lodge.

TRP has offered the bike hire companies an opportunity to discuss a solution which, of course, we hope they take up.

In the meantime, we would like to know what YOU think about dockless hire bikes in the park. Do you welcome them? Do you think the number of bikes waiting to be hired in the park spoils the natural landscape? Should the bike hire companies penalise dehiring in the park with very high rates?

Hit that reply button and let us know what you think. We’ll make sure your views are heard by the people who run the park.

VERGE ON THE RIDICULOUS

Like us, you may have found it difficult to get in a few laps of the park during the first May Bank Holiday due to the huge number of motor vehicles. The car parks became full very quickly, causing long queues to get in - and some drivers, perhaps at their wits’ end or simply thinking they could take a risk, chose to leave their cars on grass verges where there were no wooden stumps to stop them.

The last Bank Holiday was a different story. At a prior meeting we had with the police, their representatives agreed to ticket illegally parked cars sooner in the day to deter others who may have been thinking of doing the same thing later on. Officers also placed Met Police cones in dense lines to ward off parking and erected temporary signs at the entrances to car parks warning that it is illegal to leave a car anywhere else in the park.

As a result, there was significantly less fly parking, making the roads safer and less heavily trafficked. So, hopefully, you managed to cycle a lap or two (or more).

TRP is looking into installing more posts to make parking more difficult (although it will not place them on descents as they are hazardous to cyclists if they lose control) and funding is being sought for more temporary signage warning about illegal parking. We’ll keep you (sign)posted!

JOURNEY CONTINUES...

The way ahead for Intelligent Road Charging levied at motor vehicles using the park for shortcut journeys is coming into sharper relief. The ability to raise money for much-needed money for maintenance on roads, car parks and maintenance infrastructure has not been lost on The Royal Parks, so we hope to arrange a meeting once it hires new specialist staff after the summer. Roll on autumn!

CLOSED CALL

Finally, news on imminent road closures. Routes leading to Robin Hood Roundabout will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday 12) and Wednesday 13 June for both days and overnight. This is for resurfacing works and cutting back a tree.

You should be able to ride up to the tree and the roadworks but you will need to dismount to get around the barriers. Alternatively, choose a different route - and be aware that works may overrun.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH

That’s all for this bulletin. As ever, share this newsletter with your cycling friends - and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

GOING LIVE

Make a note in your diaries - for the first time, Richmond Park Cyclists has scheduled a live event!

The Royal Parks have invited us to put on a stand in collaboration with local cycling clubs at Richmond Park Open Day. It takes place between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, September 23 at Holly Lodge and is expected to draw up to 3,000 visitors. We see this as a great opportunity to promote the group and cycling in general, especially as TRP only opens up the lodge to the public every two or three years. The Friends of Richmond Park, the Wildlife Group and other stakeholder groups will be exhibiting.

Initial ideas for our stand include a Wattbike challenge and an exhibition of bicycles new and old. There is a First World War theme this year, so The Royal Parks have asked us whether we can exhibit a bike from that era. We might need some help with that one!

We will give more thought to the size and content of our stand in the coming weeks. Stand by for an appeal for exhibits and possibly some assistance with manning on the day.

In the meantime, you may want to have a look at the Holly Lodge Centre, the charitable organisation that is co-hosting the event, to find out more about this unique organisation. With shire horses, a Victorian classroom and an amazing apothecary - all of which will be available to the public at the open day - the centre runs educational activities focussed on the heritage and natural environment of the park.

And we might have another live event coming up as a local business has got in touch offering its premises for a meeting. We’ll keep you posted!

RUNNING ORDER

As we mentioned in last month’s bulletin, there’s going to be a running event taking place next month. The Timothy James & Partners London 10 Mile on Sunday, May 13 will see the park road partially shut, so look out for advisory signs closer to the day - and good luck to everyone taking part!

POLLING DELAY

With local politicians focussed on the imminent local elections, our efforts to explore Intelligent Road Charging for shortcut journeys through the park have taken a necessary pause. But we will renew our efforts soon, so please forward this email to anyone you know who cycles in Richmond Park. We would love to add them to our mailing list so we can have as big a voice as possible.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

CLOSED ENCOUNTERS

Do you ride through the park in the mornings or after dark? Then you will probably have noticed that the gates have been closed for the first of the bi-annual deer culls.

It began on the 6th of this month and lasts approximately six weeks. During this time, the pedestrian gates will be locked in rotation from eight each evening and opened in the morning by 7:30. Consequently, it would be wise to avoid entering the park after 8pm or before 7:30am as you could find your exit gate locked.

The Royal Parks carries out the culls as a sensible measure to control the number of deer. Once it has achieved the necessary quota, the process ends. For that reason, TRP is unable to give an exact date for when it will finish - so keep an eye out for signs on the gate.

RACE SCHEDULE

Every year, Richmond Park hosts a number of sports events. Here are three that have been confirmed for later in 2018:

Sunday, May 13 - Timothy James and Partners ten-mile run

Sunday, July 29 - Pru Ride London and London Classic Road Race

Sunday, September 16 - London Duathlon

You may want to note them down in your diary because the park will be partially shut for all three. And good luck if you’re taking part in any of them!

THERE MAY BE A SHORT WAIT...

After many months of speaking to MPs and council leaders, we are close to completing our initial consultations on Intelligent Road Charging. Naturally, the focus for our elected representatives is now on the local elections in May, so we recognise that the next phase of talks will have to wait until after the votes have been cast.

During our discussions, it has become clear that the reduction in the grant given by the Government to the Royal Parks will affect TRP’s finances. Obviously, charging for shortcut journeys could be a viable means of making up the shortfall.

If you regularly use the perimeter road in the park, you won’t have failed to notice that the roads have deteriorated in many places over the winter. The Royal Parks receives no grant from the Highways Agency, Transport for London nor local boroughs for the shortcut journeys made in motor vehicles through the park. It is also worth noting that the official list of TRP’s key aims - which it refers to as Charitable Objects - does not include accommodating motorists who use the park as a through route.

Up to 90 per cent of the eight million annual journeys in the park are by people using it as a shortcut. A small charge, we feel, could go a long way in helping maintain the fabric - as well as the roads - of this special place.

RUBBISH TIPS

Finally, a few pointers on discarding litter which is created by cyclists who use the park for training.

An environmentalist who frequently visits the park asked us to pass on the message that TRP’s rubbish-pickers frequently find discarded gel and bar wrappers next to the road. We appreciate that you might never knowingly drop litter, and in this weather cold fingers can sometimes fail to locate a jersey pocket when you are trying to keep an empty wrapper. But whether your rubbish is dropped accidentally or not, the fact remains that deer happily munch on your used plastic, and eating it can cause pain or even kill them. So take care - and take your litter home.

Thanks for taking time to read our newsletter - and, as ever, special thanks to everyone who has passed our monthly missives to their cycling friends. Feel free to forward this to anyone you may think will want to join our mailing list.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

Welcome to the final bulletin of Richmond Park Cyclists’ inaugural year - and thank you to everyone who has signed up since our last monthly missive.

Richmond Park’s biannual Stakeholders’ Breakfast Meeting, which we mentioned in our previous bulletin, took place a few weeks ago. We attended the meeting to introduce Richmond Park Cyclists to the various stakeholder groups and outline the case for charging motor vehicles using the park as a shortcut. Our representative at the meeting graciously bore the brunt of one local councillor’s somewhat robust response to the intelligent road charging idea. Others present were clearly less sanguine and proffered quiet words of support. Cool heads, we hope, will progress the idea as talks continue next year and beyond.

CROSSING THE LINES

Encouragingly, one of the authorities at the Breakfast Meeting who we always wanted to reach out to cyclists through RPC has asked us to include an item in this bulletin. So here is a useful couple of tidbits from the Parks’ Police which we are passing on...

You will probably have noticed double white lines when you cycle up Broomfield Hill and Dark Hill. But did you know that it is actually legal to cross double white lines in some circumstances?

In accordance with rule 129 of the Highway Code, drivers can overtake provided you are cycling at 10mph or less and the road is clear. They can overtake horse riders or road maintenance vehicles as well - but not cars or other vehicles.

Also, do be mindful of queuing traffic behind you when riding two abreast. There is a considerable grey area surrounding the interpretation of rule 66 of the Highway Code (“never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow and busy roads and when riding around bends”) but showing consideration to other road users instead of holding them up goes down a treat. The Parks’ Police suggest singling out for a few seconds when safe to do so if there is traffic behind so that it might pass..

FROST REPORT

No doubt you will have noticed ice on the park’s roads if you cycled there during the past week or so. We have been speaking to The Royal Parks to establish what can be done to make conditions as safe as possible for cycling when the temperature drops to around freezing point or below. But you may be asking why it seems that the park’s roads and paths are not always salted or gritted in icy or snowy weather.

The answer is partly explained by environmental concerns. As Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve, TRP tries to avoid adding salt unnecessarily, which can have an effect on the ecology and landscape. The other factor is unpredictable weather: residual water can freeze in isolated areas even if the overall temperature is above freezing, and when the roads are gritted, overnight rain can sometimes wash it away.

So bear in mind that TRP staff do check for ice, sometimes as early as 3am, and they will often lay salt and grit. But there are also steps you can take to make sure you cycle safely.

Check the weather forecast before you set out - and remember the air temperature in the park can be 3C colder than the surrounding areas.

Look at the notice boards at the entrance gates. If TRP are concerned that conditions may be sketchy, it will put up “Caution: Ice” signs.

Consider switching to winter tyres with a softer compound when the temperature drops. The grip will help you stay upright, as will reducing the tyre pressure. Tyres with a grip tread typically used on mountain bikes will assist on snow and have a limited benefit on ice.

The off-road Tamsin Trail might be a grippier alternative to slippery tarmac. But if in doubt, dismount. Walking may take you longer - but you’ll get to your destination in one piece!

ENGENDERING CHANGE

We happened to meet women’s cycling advocate Belinda Scott by chance at an event in Sigma Sport bike shop. We subsequently had a successful meeting with her where we explained the aims and purpose of Richmond Park Cyclists. Belinda runs a Facebook group for women cyclists called Bellavelo and we hope to work with her in the future.

Increasing the number of women cyclists using the park - as well as children, the disabled and the elderly - is an important aim for RPC. As we mentioned last month, we have had an unexpectedly high number of women signing up to our mailing list, and we’ll be reaching out to as many of them as possible. So if you are one of them, keep an eye on your inbox!

WE’RE MAKING A LIST…

Next year, we’re aiming to keep you informed about everything bike-related going on in the park as well as anything that may impact your cycling there, such as the gate closures for the annual deer cull. We’ll put together a calendar of events - and as usual, our wonderful subscribers will be the first to know what’s happening in the month ahead. Another great reason to encourage your cycling friends to sign up!

We also want to keep RPC a free service. To this end, we have begun speaking to local clubs and businesses about the possibility of a little financial support.

In the meantime, you can help us by forwarding this email to anyone you think may want to receive our bulletins. The bigger our mailing list, the more people we can represent when speaking to the park’s authorities and stakeholder groups.

Have a great Christmas and New Year, wrap up warm and enjoy your cycling in the park.

Each month, we are emailing a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is last month's mailout. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed and why we are progressing the idea of reducing traffic in the park by charging for shortcut journeys.

Thank you to everyone who has forwarded our last bulletin to their cycling friends and acquaintances - and hello to those who have signed up as a result. It’s especially heartening to see a relatively high number of women joining our mailing list. Increasing the participation of female riders (as well as children, disabled cyclists and the elderly) is an idea that we would like to develop, so in the coming weeks we will try to reach out to as many women who have signed up as we can.

In the meantime, our talks on Intelligent Road Charging continue. Over the past month or so we have met with Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith and the Green Party as well as arranging meetings with local MPs Ed Davey and Vince Cable. We also hope to present to the leaders of three boroughs adjacent to the park.

Local councillors whose wards are already affected when the park’s gates are shut from dusk until dawn are understandably concerned about the effects of Intelligent Road Charging. We have stressed only motorists using the park as a through route would be targeted and these drivers would not be excluded - they would just pay a toll. Groups such as blue badge holders, park residents and park workers would have dispensation, hence our emphasis on Intelligent Road Charging. And overall, we anticipate a reduction in motor traffic, which we would say is the right thing to do.

We met with The Royal Parks prior to commencing consultations and anticipate contact again soon. Its engagement and, ultimately, willingness to take the idea forward is key to making the road ahead less challenging.

MEETING POINTS

We always want you to tell us about specific issues that would improve your experience of cycling in the park. With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to outline two important forums where we represent your interests.

The first is the Richmond Park Police Panel which meets quarterly and sets priorities for the Met Police team. The panel has recently reestablished a road safety sub-committee, and we represent cycling interests there, too.

The second is the biannual Stakeholders’ Breakfast Meeting where The Royal Parks and the Met Police provide reports, as do the various other groups which are represented.

Senior figures from the abovementioned authorities attend both sets of meetings. Other attendees include the Friends Of Richmond Park, Richmond Park Wildlife Group, councillors

from Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth, the Holly Lodge Centre (an active charity in the park), the Royal Ballet School and Pembroke Lodge. Dog walkers, the Parkrun and similar groups also send representatives.

We are your eyes and ears, but more importantly we contribute to social, personal and environmental welfare in the park.

TRAIL TRAVEL

Getting away from traffic is a something we all want to do from time to time - and going off-road is a great way to explore Richmond Park by bike.

The principal and best-known track is the Tamsin Trail which pretty much circumnavigates the park. There is also a designated Transport for London Quietway through the middle featuring raised crossings at the two points where it intersects with the ring road. This route is designed to appeal to less confident cyclists. Other cycle tracks run parallel with the road.

To see all the routes, have a look at the map on our website. Remember that these are the only routes that cyclists are authorised to use and the police could give you a Fixed Penalty Notice if you cycle anywhere else. This rule is enforced to avoid soil erosion caused by tyres creating rivulets.

Bridleways are for horse riders only. Maybe they should be shared - let us know what you think.

Most cycle tracks in the park are shared with pedestrians, which includes their dogs (which may not always be on a lead) and children. There is also the occasional deer to contend with and, on the stretch from Ham Cross to the ballet school, the odd car or two. So keep your wits about you!

With so many different types of park users on these paths, tensions can rise. Here, we focus on the safest and most considerate way of riding off-road in Richmond Park - and, once again, we invite you to give your opinions or offer anything we may have missed.

THE BEST WAY TO SHARE OFF-ROAD

Stick to the authorised trails.

Remember that the speed limit is 10mph and pedestrians have priority.

Look ahead for potential hazards and slow down or adjust your riding to reflect the conditions.

A cycle bell is a valuable off-road tool. Give it a ding to alert others to your presence, especially when approaching other park visitors from behind.

Overtaking should be performed as you would on the road - it is what’s likely to be expected and most obvious. Leave plenty of space.

Thank other park users for acknowledging you and giving you space to pass.

Some path users are vulnerable and easily frightened. You may judge your actions to be acceptably safe but others may not. So before making your manoeuvre, ask yourself if it could cause fright or be perceived as discourteous or disrespectful. If so, hold back and rethink.

If you need to stop, make sure you get off the path.

Riding in a group? Single out as you slow down when encountering traffic. There are no hard-and-fast rules governing group size, but four riders is a good, manageable number.

The courtesy crossings at Sheen Cross and Ham Cross are for pedestrians as well as cyclists. Be aware that road users do not have to stop to let you cross.

Be alert to dogs off leads and stray deer.

Apologise if you are in the wrong, show your appreciation when other users give way and always respect the Royal Parks Police.

Ride a well-maintained bike and carry a spare inner tube, tyre levers and a pump or gas cartridge. If you see a fellow cyclist by the side of the trail who may need any of these, you could make his or her day by offering to help!

This is by no means an authoritative list, but we believe that promoting good behaviour will increase cyclists’ good reputation and standing in the park. Let us know what you think.

PASS IT ON

Thanks for taking the time to read. Keep enjoying your riding in the park - even as the winter weather begins to creep in - and please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may want to join our mailing list. Alternatively, direct them towards the Get Involved section of our website - richmondparkcyclists.org/get-involved/